I just completed my first week stay in the small Caribbean town of Pearl Lagoon. This week I have been getting acquainted with the community and as well framing my questions and objectives of my independent research. I met with my advisers at the Wildlife Conservation Society this past Monday which they helped me to narrow my project themes and provided with literature so that I could read and use the information to help formulate my questions.
On Thursday I had the opportunity to go turtle egg excavating with my adviser at the Pearl Keys. I was a wonderful experience to witness the efforts that my adviser and her excavating team puts forth into digging out nests and counting and recounting hatched egg shells and unhatch eggs in order to determine the quantity that survive the hatching and the ones that didn't. The excavation also helped them to determine whether the eggs are being poached or not. Most importantly I got to witness the return of a loggerhead turtle back to it's habitat in the sea. It was really exciting to witness this because it was my first time being every close to a sea turtle, second I got to see my adviser execute her work efforts towards the conservation of turtle, and most importantly I witnesses the collaboration between the organization and one of the communities of the Pearl Lagoon Basin.
Yesterday I got to interview three members of the community. Each of them had their own experience with the usage of the resources of the region. Two out the three interviewees had dedicated their lives into fishing while one dedicated his life to farming beans,rice, and coconut. Because I am exploring the theme of sequential exploitation , each of the interviewees are aware that the catch of fish has been reduced drastically. The all have different opinions in finding solutions for these issues and by hearing these opinions I was able to detect the mean of their opinions and understood that there should be some government involvement with creating alternatives and policies to prevent the exploitation of other reources
Pearl Lagoon
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Results!!!
Daniel Ortega got the result that he wanted by getting over 60% of the votes. Not many people are not pleased with this result especially Fabio Gadea and the PLI. The members of of the PLI are not recognizing Ortega's victory and are contesting it. Also the international community is still unsure whether to recognize Oretga's victory or not especially the United States. Whether the elections were fraud or not it was a spectacular experience to witness. I never seen so much enthusiasm in a national election before. Everybody from my community were excited to vote on Sunday and the FSLN supporters were proudly wearing their white bright letter colored FSLN shirts. I anticipate that the situation in regards to the recognition of the elections settles down really soon, there has been a few clashes between the opposing parties. I will continue to observe this tension that is going on as I prepare to go to the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua where I will commence on my independent study project on the Fishing Industry in Pearl Lagoon and Environmental Justice.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Otra Vez
Today Nicaragua will be experiencing its 2011 elections. It has been an intense week for Nicaraguan political parties, especially for the Sandinistas(FSLN) and the Liberales (PLC) because they had to put forth all of their efforts into campaigning. Campaigning was so extreme this week that there were demonstrations on rontundes or round-abouts where large number of party supporters would be gathered and showing their support. Also there has been a series of rallies going on throughout Managua which cause some roads to be closed and resulted in heavy traffic.
Everybody in Nicaragua are excited for the elections. Although there are a handful of Sandinstas throughout the country there are also voters who are conservative and ally themselves with the PLC whose presidential candidate is Arnoldo Aleman. There are also citizens who believe that Daniel Ortega has abuse his executive power and has not served the country well and view Fabio Gadea of the PLI (Partido Liberal Independiente) as a potential candidate to become presidents.
The US government is not in favor of the Sandinista government and anticipate that another government be elected. But after observing and talking to people it is unlikely that a new government will be elected. People in Nicaragua especially in Managua feel that the Sandinistas have brought drastic change into Nicaraguan Society. People agree that the Sandinista government is not the most honest one but the officials running it are doing their best to help the people prosper. There is also skeptics saying that even if the Sandinistas lose the elections they will force themselves into power and fraud the elections. At this points I cannot give my position to that skepticism because I have not lived long enough in Nicaragua to be criticizing its electoral process. The only thing that I could say is to wait and see later on this evening who will be triumphing this election.
Monday, October 31, 2011
El Salvador:
While navigating on the streets of San Salvador on a coaster bus I felt as if I was driving on Cesar Chavez Blvd. in Los Angeles. Even the graffiti on the walls reminded of Los Angeles which made me very nostalgic. Although the the nation's capital urban structure really resembled that of Los Angeles the history of the country itself is really tragic. El Salvador experienced a Civil War that lasted from 1979-1991, this war was between the military government and the leftist FMLN (Farabundo Marti Liberacion Nacional), who fought to improve the lives and bring equality for the suffering people of El Salvador.
What it made it possible for this war to last over 10 years was the intervention of the U.S government. The U.S approximately gave the Salvadoran government about $1 million a day to continue to fight against the so called communists guerrillas This war brought devastating consequences such as over 60,000 deaths and the destruction of the country's infrastructure. The "acuerdo de paz" or Peace Treaty was signed in Mexico in 1992 which eventually brought the end to the war. But the war brought serious social consequences which currently affects the country.
These social problems includes gang violence, immigration, family planning, unemployment, undernourishment and poverty. The current FMLN government is trying to deal with these issues but the people feel that nothing really has change besides the education system which now provides uniforms that allow all kids to attend public school. There is a need for renovation in the Salvadoran government and society it is up to those who are in office to listen to the people and find ways to help improve the lives of their own struggling citizens.
What it made it possible for this war to last over 10 years was the intervention of the U.S government. The U.S approximately gave the Salvadoran government about $1 million a day to continue to fight against the so called communists guerrillas This war brought devastating consequences such as over 60,000 deaths and the destruction of the country's infrastructure. The "acuerdo de paz" or Peace Treaty was signed in Mexico in 1992 which eventually brought the end to the war. But the war brought serious social consequences which currently affects the country.
These social problems includes gang violence, immigration, family planning, unemployment, undernourishment and poverty. The current FMLN government is trying to deal with these issues but the people feel that nothing really has change besides the education system which now provides uniforms that allow all kids to attend public school. There is a need for renovation in the Salvadoran government and society it is up to those who are in office to listen to the people and find ways to help improve the lives of their own struggling citizens.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Preparing for El Salvador
Class sessions are almost done as I prepare for my independent study program which will emphasize on the Economic and Environmental History of the Pearl Lagoon Basin. My excursion to El Salvador will be my last excursion with the program in which I'll be engaging in the country's civil war history and learn about its reconciliation process. During my time in El Salvador I will be having lectures and meetings with various civil society groups, social movement groups, religious groups, as well as politcal groups Also during my ahort stay in El Salvador I plan to compare the country's civil war history with Nicaragua's revolutionary and counter revolutionary histories and analyze the political and economic reconstruction of the two states. I look forward to a divert and educational experince while in El Salvador and be aware for my upcoming posts.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Entering into Another Side of Nicaragua
When people think about Nicaragua they mostly refer to the Pacific coast of the country. Most of the population is concentrated in that region as well it serve as the center for the country's political and economic activity. Also the population of the Pacific side of the country is homogeneous with most of people being Spanish speaking mestizos. As I traveled into the Atlantic coast of the country I was introduced to an entire new identity of the nation.
It took about 8 hours to get to the Atlantic coast and once I got there I stayed for the first night in the city Bluefields where I had the opportunity to have a "charla" or talk with Johnnie Hodgson, who is person that developed the autonomy law for the region. After listening to Mr.Hodgson's lecture about the history of the Atlantic coast it was evident that both coasts were distinct of one another.The Atlantic coast was colonize by the British and was set up to be a protectorate while the pacific coast was colonize by the Spanish and developed its nation-state identity during the 19th century. Because the British decided to honor the Monroe Doctrine in the late 19th century and evacuated the region, President Zeleya set up a campaign to unify the Pacific coast with the Atlantic Coast. Once Zelaya succeeded in unifying the two coasts the region was name the Zeleya Department so that it marked his achievement in unifying the two coasts.
Zelaya indeed did unified the two coasts but the inhabitants of the Atlantic coasts were not in favor of this unification. First the Coastal people were used to having their own sovereign government controlled and protected by the British and second these people had a complete different culture and identity compared to the people of the pacific.The difference of identity and culture still exists in the present with the Atlantic coast population consisting of Creoles,Miskito,Mayagna,Garifunas,Ramas, and along with the new migrants of mestizos from the pacific.
I stayed for a few days in a small community called Pearl Lagoon. Most of the people in the are were Afro-descendant Creoles who spoke English Creole as their primary language and Spanish as a secondary language. There was also a handful of mix people in the area along with Miskitos and mestizos. I had the opportunity to talk to community leaders who are making the efforts to improve conditions in the Pearl Lagoon basin.
Hardships that the community faces does not only include the prolong issue of autonomy but also includes the following; teen pregnancy, drug abuse,conservation of natural resources, demarcation and titling of land, lack educational resources, and most importantly the struggle to maintain the region's diverse cultural and ethnic identity. The community leaders showed some optimism during there lectures but they said the changes will come once the community acknowledges these issues and make a movement out of it or the national government either supplies them with the proper resources that will allow the region progress and prosper in the future.
I learned a lot in my few days in Pearl Lagoon. I had the opportunity make lobster and potato salad in the kitchen of a local family while spending the afternoon crabbing around the lagoon. I concluded my stay at Bluefields where I got to see and participate in a Garifuna dance called "punta". In conclusion just like any other place I have visited, there's room for improvement in the Caribbean coast. The people lack the resources to make these efforts and the national government is neglecting the region and not providing it with proper resources. Autonomy is the solution for a good portion of the people in the are but not good enough for the national government. By giving autonomy to the region the government will not be allowed to access the abundance of resources that exists in the coast.
In my eyes I felt that i entered into the borders of another nation by hearing people speaking Creole and Miskito and seeing British colonial architecture all around the area. I will never forget about my experience at the Atlantic especially with the rhythm of Reggae and Soka are resounding in my mind as I go to sleep
It took about 8 hours to get to the Atlantic coast and once I got there I stayed for the first night in the city Bluefields where I had the opportunity to have a "charla" or talk with Johnnie Hodgson, who is person that developed the autonomy law for the region. After listening to Mr.Hodgson's lecture about the history of the Atlantic coast it was evident that both coasts were distinct of one another.The Atlantic coast was colonize by the British and was set up to be a protectorate while the pacific coast was colonize by the Spanish and developed its nation-state identity during the 19th century. Because the British decided to honor the Monroe Doctrine in the late 19th century and evacuated the region, President Zeleya set up a campaign to unify the Pacific coast with the Atlantic Coast. Once Zelaya succeeded in unifying the two coasts the region was name the Zeleya Department so that it marked his achievement in unifying the two coasts.
Zelaya indeed did unified the two coasts but the inhabitants of the Atlantic coasts were not in favor of this unification. First the Coastal people were used to having their own sovereign government controlled and protected by the British and second these people had a complete different culture and identity compared to the people of the pacific.The difference of identity and culture still exists in the present with the Atlantic coast population consisting of Creoles,Miskito,Mayagna,Garifunas,Ramas, and along with the new migrants of mestizos from the pacific.
I stayed for a few days in a small community called Pearl Lagoon. Most of the people in the are were Afro-descendant Creoles who spoke English Creole as their primary language and Spanish as a secondary language. There was also a handful of mix people in the area along with Miskitos and mestizos. I had the opportunity to talk to community leaders who are making the efforts to improve conditions in the Pearl Lagoon basin.
Hardships that the community faces does not only include the prolong issue of autonomy but also includes the following; teen pregnancy, drug abuse,conservation of natural resources, demarcation and titling of land, lack educational resources, and most importantly the struggle to maintain the region's diverse cultural and ethnic identity. The community leaders showed some optimism during there lectures but they said the changes will come once the community acknowledges these issues and make a movement out of it or the national government either supplies them with the proper resources that will allow the region progress and prosper in the future.
I learned a lot in my few days in Pearl Lagoon. I had the opportunity make lobster and potato salad in the kitchen of a local family while spending the afternoon crabbing around the lagoon. I concluded my stay at Bluefields where I got to see and participate in a Garifuna dance called "punta". In conclusion just like any other place I have visited, there's room for improvement in the Caribbean coast. The people lack the resources to make these efforts and the national government is neglecting the region and not providing it with proper resources. Autonomy is the solution for a good portion of the people in the are but not good enough for the national government. By giving autonomy to the region the government will not be allowed to access the abundance of resources that exists in the coast.
In my eyes I felt that i entered into the borders of another nation by hearing people speaking Creole and Miskito and seeing British colonial architecture all around the area. I will never forget about my experience at the Atlantic especially with the rhythm of Reggae and Soka are resounding in my mind as I go to sleep
Monday, October 3, 2011
Living in the Campo
I have been extremely busy for the past two weeks. I spent a week in a small rural community in San Ramon called La Pita. During my stay I had the opportunity to interact with my campo family and learn about the cultivation of coffee. At the house where I was staying there was a little boy name Edwin who became my guide throughout my stay in El Campo. His father, Apolonio Mercado, took me to his coffee parcel and showed me how to pick coffee grains from the trees. This a very easy but tedious process. I struggled to stand still while I was picking coffee grain because all of the trees were in a slope and the the ground was very muddy due to the rain of the winter season.
I would have to wake up between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning during my stay in el campo. I would be served breakfast which consisted of rice,beans,tortilla, and cafe con leche and after head out to the yard and take car of the pelegueyes or "lambs". In one occassion I had the chance to help my friend Sara Jacobs to put organic fertilizer on her family's coffee trees.
One thing that I will never forget about the campo is its natural landscape. The area has an abundance of trees and vegetation. All of the hills and mountains are full with green grass and bushes. The river in La Pita is amazing, it is crystal clear and there is no evidence of anthropogenic influence in the content of the water.
But the most beautiful scene that I got to witness were the cows freely grazing on the green grass in fields and hills of La Pita under the afternoon sun. In my life I would never imagine myself in such a wonderful place. This scenery gave me hope that paradise does exist in the world but this paradise exists in the midst of impoverish people.
During the coffee season the campesinos are working in the fields from 5:00 am to 3:00 pm. Not only do they have to be attentive to their fields but also to their animals. Also they must do miscellaneous work such as cut wood for the stove, prepare the maize, and maintain the yard of the house.
The processes that are required to produced the coffee are all done manually. After the grain is picked , the seed must be separated from the grain. This is done with a tool that requires two people; one to hold the bag to get the seed as they fall after they have been separated from the grain and the other to drop the grains into the seperator. After, the seeds are put out to dry over night and the following day shell must be broken from the seed. When this is done the coffee is then roasted on a pan for an hour using the heat of the stove. Once the coffee is fully roasted it is grinded and ready to be exported.
Sadly to saw the campesinos work for the harvest of coffee is poorly compensated. The sale for coffee goes for $C4000 for quintal (100 lbs) and the campesino gets 10% of each quintal that s/he produces. The rest of the profits go to the UCA ( Union Coopertiva Agropecuario) which is a government agency that helps sells and export the coffee to developed nations. As Starbuck sells each cup of coffee for $3, the campesino is stuck with the income of less than a thousand dollars a year. This experience overall got me to see the beauty of the harvest of coffee and simultaneously seek out the economic beast that exploits the labor of the campesinos.
I would have to wake up between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning during my stay in el campo. I would be served breakfast which consisted of rice,beans,tortilla, and cafe con leche and after head out to the yard and take car of the pelegueyes or "lambs". In one occassion I had the chance to help my friend Sara Jacobs to put organic fertilizer on her family's coffee trees.
One thing that I will never forget about the campo is its natural landscape. The area has an abundance of trees and vegetation. All of the hills and mountains are full with green grass and bushes. The river in La Pita is amazing, it is crystal clear and there is no evidence of anthropogenic influence in the content of the water.
But the most beautiful scene that I got to witness were the cows freely grazing on the green grass in fields and hills of La Pita under the afternoon sun. In my life I would never imagine myself in such a wonderful place. This scenery gave me hope that paradise does exist in the world but this paradise exists in the midst of impoverish people.
During the coffee season the campesinos are working in the fields from 5:00 am to 3:00 pm. Not only do they have to be attentive to their fields but also to their animals. Also they must do miscellaneous work such as cut wood for the stove, prepare the maize, and maintain the yard of the house.
The processes that are required to produced the coffee are all done manually. After the grain is picked , the seed must be separated from the grain. This is done with a tool that requires two people; one to hold the bag to get the seed as they fall after they have been separated from the grain and the other to drop the grains into the seperator. After, the seeds are put out to dry over night and the following day shell must be broken from the seed. When this is done the coffee is then roasted on a pan for an hour using the heat of the stove. Once the coffee is fully roasted it is grinded and ready to be exported.
Sadly to saw the campesinos work for the harvest of coffee is poorly compensated. The sale for coffee goes for $C4000 for quintal (100 lbs) and the campesino gets 10% of each quintal that s/he produces. The rest of the profits go to the UCA ( Union Coopertiva Agropecuario) which is a government agency that helps sells and export the coffee to developed nations. As Starbuck sells each cup of coffee for $3, the campesino is stuck with the income of less than a thousand dollars a year. This experience overall got me to see the beauty of the harvest of coffee and simultaneously seek out the economic beast that exploits the labor of the campesinos.
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